As temperatures plummet throughout the winter, frozen pipes are a serious concern for homeowners in these climates. A frozen pipe can cause extreme damage to your home depending on the severity of the situation. Because water expands when it freezes, a frozen pipe could end up bursting, causing water damage that is expensive to repair. Lifeline Home Inspections is here to share some tips to help you avoid frozen pipes in your home this winter.
Wrap Pipes with Towels
When you are faced with extremely low temperatures and are fearful that your pipes may freeze, you can wrap them with warm towels to help them stay warm enough through the cold spell. When you know that cold weather is coming, using towels or thick blankets around your pipes leading to the inside of your home could be enough to avoid freezing.
Leaving Under Sink Cabinet Doors Open when it’s Cold
The plumbing beneath your kitchen and bathroom sinks can be at risk of freezing during cold weather. To help your under sink plumbing keep from freezing, opening the cabinet doors just might be enough. When the cabinet doors are open, the warm air in your home can more easily circulate around the pipes and keep them from freezing.
Drip Cold Water to Keep Pipes from Freezing
When we talk about turning on your faucets to avoid frozen pipes, we aren’t talking about a steady flow of water. All you need is about five drops per minute to keep water flowing through the pipes enough to keep them from freezing. This should be done on faucets that are on the outside walls of your home.
Don’t Turn Off the Heat in an Empty or Vacant House
Are you getting ready to take a vacation to get away from this cold weather? If you ever leave your home in the winter, you shouldn’t turn your heat off completely while you are gone. The thermostat should be set to no lower than 55 degrees to avoid frozen pipes. It is also a good idea to have a neighbor check on your home a couple of time while you are gone to ensure everything is okay while you are away.
Will Frozen Pipes Thaw on Their Own?
Frozen pipes will thaw on their own but they may burst during the thawing process. If the pipes in your home have frozen, the first thing that you need to do is turn off the water from the water main. Everyone in your home needs to know where this is and how to shut it off in the case of an emergency. Once the water is off, turn on the faucets and keep them running until you see water coming out of them. If there has been any sign that your pipes have burst, it is important that you call on a professional plumbing company to help aid in any repairs needed.
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